Advent 2025, Day 12

Day 12, December 11, 2025

Theme: Peace

Readings: 

Reading: Is 41:13-20 Gospel: Mt 11:11-15

Reflections:

Today's scriptures and song... whew!  I hope they linger in your soul. Okay, let's first dive into the Isaiah passage:

God is caring and kind when we are in the deserts of life.  He fully intends to care and to show up and to make an impression as he makes everything right.

Isaiah puts forth an image of God doing several things:

He takes the hand of his people, he tells us to not be afraid, and he empowers his people.

God also says through Isaiah that he will answer and respond to the needy; he promises not to forsake them.  In other words, he will bring peace and flourishing where it is lacking.  The word pictures in the scriptures today and the peace that they communicate are compelling. Why does God say he does all of these things? "...so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it." When people see and consider God's work in the world, peace will flourish.  When God's working in the world is dismissed or ignored, you can be sure peace will be lost and there will be an uptick in upheaval.

Isaiah’s prophecy today is why we are here, in Advent: To consider the meaning of what God has done, what he has created, and whom he has sent.

In Matthew, there we consider two ways to think about the Kingdom being subject to violence as we focus on peace this week:

1. The Hostility View (Folks coming against God's Kingdom)

2. The "Holy Zeal" View (Gods kingdom forcefully advancing)

Both views lead us to pray for peace. In first view, if the kingdom is suffering the forces that come against it, then we pray for peace. 

In the second, If the kingdom is made up of those who zealously & forcefully advance it, they do so to bring ultimate peace (eternal life) to those who need it.

Song: Precious Lord, Take My Hand, by Gladys Knight and the Pips

Bonus! My Advent 2025 playlist is ready for you to listen to on Apple Music. It's diverse, and it was so much fun to put together as I read through the scriptures and wrote this series.

NOTE the songs are on Apple Music, which you can get for a month for free if you are new... I just didn't want an obnoxious YouTube Ad ruining your quiet time :-)

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If you are looking for a nondenominational church in the Denver area, check out denverchurchofchrist.org